One demand now

Rejecting the premier’s call for dialogue, the organisers of the Anti-discrimination Student Movement yesterday made a one-point demand, resignation of Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina and her cabinet members.
The announcement came from a mammoth rally attended by tens of thousands of people at the Central Shaheed Minar just after 5:00pm.
Students, teachers, parents, lawyers, civil society members, celebrities, singers, political leaders, activists, workers, and rickshaw pullers joined the rally that spilled over into surrounding areas.
“We are here with one-point demand. We have made the one-point demand to ensure people’s safety and establish justice … ,” said Nahid Islam, one of the key organisers.
Referring to prime minister’s call for dialogue, he said, “We are demanding resignation of Sheikh Hasina. Her resignation is not enough; she has to be brought to justice for all the killings and abductions. It is not only Sheikh Hasina, the entire cabinet has to resign. Let the autocracy go.”
Nahid said they want to build a Bangladesh and develop a political system through which autocracy would never return. He urged the people to join the student-citizen mass uprising and get organised in each and every locality.
He said the Anti-discrimination Student Movement will announce an alliance of citizens, student organisations, and all professionals soon.
“Upon consulting with everybody, we will reveal a future national framework. We are urging people to join the all-out non-cooperation. We will not cooperate with the government in any way,” he said.
Yesterday morning, Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina called upon the students to sit with her at the Gono Bhaban. “The doors of the Gono Bhaban are open. I want to sit with the agitating students and listen to them. I want no conflict,” she said in a meeting with professionals.
Responding to the call of the Anti-discrimination Student Movement, people, many with their families, braved the rain and started flocking to the Central Shaheed Minar since late morning, first in their hundreds and then in their thousands.
They carried the national flag, banners, and placards from across the city, including Rampura, Badda, Dhanmondi, Science Laboratory, and Mirpur.
As the rally began, the crowd spilled over into Doyel Chattar in the east, Jagannath Hall in the west, Dhaka Medical College Hospital gate area in the south, and Shibbari intersection in the north.
The areas reverberated with various anti-government slogans, like “Dofa Ek Dabi Ek, Sheikh Hasinar Podotyag, [One point, one demand, the resignation of Sheikh Hasina]”, and “Ek dui tin char, Sairachar Hasina Gadi Chhar [One-two-three-four, dictator Hasina leave the chair]”.
The protesters in groups graffitied on the streets, walls, and trees. Some of them were seen writing posters and banners.
Parents of students were seen distributing water.
Rafique Munir, his wife Ahmed Munira, who was distributing water, went to the Central Shaheed Minar with their 6-year-old son.
Munir told The Daily Star, “My wife became sick hearing about all the unnecessary bloodshed … The demand is now loud and clear. We do not want anyone in power who kills our children.”
Aziz Miah, a rickshaw puller, said they had been silent for years despite the repression by the Awami League government.
“Our brothers were killed when they took to the streets. How long will we remain silent? The time is now to raise our voices,” he said.
Demonstrators took to the streets across Dhaka since morning, demanding justice for those killed in the recent violence centring the quota reform protests. They blocked various intersections.
Around 11:00am, the protesters started to gather in front of BRAC University, Aftabnagar residential area gate and Banasree. They were chanting slogans demanding resignation of the prime minister and justice for their friends who were killed.
They graffitied on the streets and walls. Around 2:00pm, the street from Rampura Bridge to Badda U-loop area was full to the brim with protesters, mostly students from private universities and colleges. Many others joined them from Badda, Rampura, and Banasree.
Some parents were seen accompanying their children on the streets.
People on balconies and roofs of buildings were seen clapping and echoing slogans as the processions went by. No police were seen obstructing the processions.
Chanting slogans, they marched around 8km to join the rally at the Central Shaheed Minar.
At Science Laboratory intersection, students started to gather around noon, blocking Mirpur Road.
Kamrul Hasan, a Dhaka College student who was there, said, “We cannot betray the blood of our brothers. We shall not leave the streets without implementing the one-point demand.”
A team of police had taken position in front Baitul Aman Mosque Market, a few hundred metres from the protesters. Around 1:30pm, parents of students in nearby neighbourhoods joined the protesters and gave them dry food and water.
Around 2:00pm, the protesters formed a procession and headed towards the Central Shaheed Minar. As the procession went past New Market, hundreds of workers from nearby markets joined it.
Many students were seen tearing apart banners and posters of Awami League and Chhatra League.
People from teachers’ and staff quarters of Dhaka University cheered them on. Many were seen giving them water, food, and flowers.
Thousands of students gathered at Mirpur-10 roundabout around noon. Their number grew as protesters in small processions joined them one after another.
Many guardians, rickshaw pullers, hawkers, and employees of shops joined the protest.
Ayon Rahman, a student of law at Bangladesh University of Business and Technology, said, “We took to the streets demanding the resignation of everyone responsible for the killings. We demand the withdrawal of all false charges against us.”
Police and two dozen members of the Border Guard Bangladesh were standing at a safe distance from the demonstration.
In Uttara, the protesters took position near BNS Centre and its surrounding streets. Like other places in the city, many parents were with them.
Students from various universities in and around Uttara stood on the pavements with placards. “My brother is in the grave, why is the killer outside?” and “Police, whose side are you on, the people’s or Sheikh Hasina’s?”, read some placards.
A parent said, “We have come for the safety of our children. We want peace. No more bullets. These bullets are bought with our money.”
After the rally at the Central Shaheed Minar ended around 6:10pm, the protesters gathered in TSC area. They tore down several banners and posters of Chhatra League leaders and Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina.
During this time, the protesters also smeared with red paint the painting of Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina on a metro rail pillar.
Additionally, they removed wooden letters on the TSC auditorium that displayed slogans of the Chhatra League. They replaced the slogans with “Terror Free TSC”.
They also blindfolded the statues of Raju Bhaskarjya with pieces of red cloth.
Around 7:00pm, the protesters threw brick chunks at the Shahbagh Police Station and chanted anti-police slogans.
Later, a large number of protesters blocked the Shahbagh intersection.
OUTSIDE DHAKA
In Narayanganj, students and their parents kept the Chashara intersection in Narayanganj city blocked for five hours from 11:30pm.
Students in Pabna brought out a procession in front of Pabna Edward College and on the campus Pabna University of Science and Technology.
A group of students blocked Dhaka-Patuakhali highway for half an hour from 11:00am.
In Feni, agitators staged a sit-in in Kehjur Chattar area for one and a half hour after Zohr prayers.
Protesters also took out processions in Jashore, Kushtia, Thakurgaon, Panchagarh and other districts.